Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe is facing calls to get his story straight on the fate of a homeless shelter in downtown Moose Jaw.

Mayor James Murdock announced Wednesday, shortly after a meeting with Moe and some of his cabinet ministers, that the province wanted Willow Lodge moved.

Moe also talked about the move with reporters. But a spokesperson with the Ministry of Social Services later said in a statement the government didn’t provide a directive to relocate the shelter and talks with the city were continuing.

Opposition NDP housing critic Brent Blakley said the situation is baffling.

“Today they’ve offered no clarification,” he said Thursday. “The right hand doesn’t know what the left hand is doing, and we expect them to address the homeless crisis. Really?”

The announcement had stunned the mayor, the city’s downtown business association and the organization that runs the 15-bed facility.

Shawn Fraser, CEO of the John Howard Society of Saskatchewan, said he’s been left in the dark.

He’s trying to keep staff informed about what’s happening to the shelter, he said, but there’s little information.

“We haven’t actually been contacted by the province yet,” Fraser said Thursday.

Alex Carleton, chair of the Downtown Moose Jaw Association, told Wednesday’s news conference there are problems with the homeless in the downtown, and the city’s tourism industry should be protected.

Justice Minister Tim McLeod, a Saskatchewan Party legislature member representing Moose Jaw, also said the province has heard many requests to relocate services outside downtown.

Moe told reporters Wednesday the decision to move wasn’t about reducing services but “reducing maybe some of the peripheral impact” that the shelter is having on safety in the area.

Blakley said the premier and his ministers need to go back to Moose Jaw to sort out the mess they created.

“Help develop a real plan, an emergency plan to address homelessness in the city,” he said.

“No matter where the shelter goes, there has to be a clear plan. Wherever it goes, I think it needs consultation with the mayor, the downtown association, plus other stakeholders.”

A point-in-time count released this year shows Moose Jaw’s homeless population had tripled. There were 76 houseless people in the city last year, up from the 23 in 2023.

Last year, another shelter in Moose Jaw’s downtown closed due to building issues, and public pushback made it difficult for that shelter to find a new location.

Fraser said the Willow Lodge is the only shelter left in the downtown.

“Unless you’re going to move it so far away from downtown that people can’t walk there, my suspicion is (the homeless situation) is not going to change a lot until we get to the root cause of the problem.”

Fraser said nobody likes to see homelessness in their communities.

“Does moving a shelter really address the issue? Or does it just go somewhere else?”

He pointed to statistics released last month by Moose Jaw police that show crimes against people were down 45 per cent compared to last year.

“I would argue that shelters don’t create crime. Crimes are created by desperation and opportunity, and shelters work to take away some desperation for people,” he said.

About two weeks ago, Moe made a surprise visit to Denare Beach in northeast Saskatchewan, which was decimated by wildfire in the summer. Local officials had said the impromptu meeting left them ill-prepared for meaningful conversation with the government.

Blakley said the government should be prioritizing consultation.

“They seem to be a little heavy handed at some of their decisions. And I think decisions in regards to homelessness, I think everybody has to be in on a decision,” he said.